One thing has puzzled me for years, my love of travel.
I should really be more specific, as a love of travel is not uncommon, its not that me family holidays were unadventurous or any in way boring, but my solo travels have been more ambitious.
My parents showed my various parts of England, northern France, Jersey and Florida, but I still harboured desires to go further, to visit every US State, all the continents (Including Antarctica), see the temples of Cambodia, hike the Inca Trail, see Russia, India and countless other places…
The problem is where did this all come from. I’m sure these desires didn’t come directly form my parents, neither of them has seen these places or have a burning desire to spend days on a train crossing African desert or on a Cargo ship crossing the Pacific Ocean.
The more I thought about it, the more the blame was laid on one man, Michael Palin.
Blame maybe isn’t a fair word to use, but back in 1988 as young and impressionable child of 9 the most amazing BBC Series whet my appetite with Around the World In 80 Days. The BBC and Mr Plain then continued to showcase epic overland travel with Pole to Pole and Full Circle.
I am not ignoring any of Mr Palin’s other journeys Hemingway Adventure, Sahara, Himalaya and New Europe – I enjoyed everyone, but there was no challenge – they all had a roughly set route and time limits.
